Aerosol valve construction

ABSTRACT

A push-button aerosol valve for varying droplet size of the liquid to be dispensed comprising a cylindrical valve body provided with a bore therethrough, a spring biased valve core located in said bore, the valve core having a tapered portion which in conjunction with a wall portion of the bore acts to vary the cross-sectional area between the wall portion and the tapered portion when the core is depressed to create a venturi effect.

l United States Patent I 1 1 3,790,089

Frangos 1 Feb. 5, 1974 AEROSOL VALVE CONSTRUCTION 1,892,750 1/1933 Rotheim 239/573 x [76] Inventor: John Frangos, 244 Hudson Ter., Fort Lee, N,J '07024 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Andres Kashnikow Flledr 1972 Att0mey,Agent, or F irm-I-lammond & Littell [21] App]. No.: 221,144 i V [57] ABSTRACT g 1 6 53513 A push-button aerosol valve for varying droplet size of [58] Field d 'rijjjjZI'IIII'.'/%"59- 222/402 1 the liquid be dispensed mprising a Cylindrical ZZZ/40214 40215 4021540237 Ya!y.. l29.9l 1 r 9si"with, 9,3,P9!9..t 9fl2r9 1 3,9 402 1 6 2 3 5 5 5 springbiased valve core located in said Bore, the valve 1 core having a tapered portion which in conjunction with a wall portion of the bore acts to vary the cross- 6] V References Cited sectional area between the wall portion and the ta- UNITED STATES PATENTS pered portion when the core. is depressed to create a 3,137,416 6/1964 Shepherd et al 239/579 x vellum effect- 2,867,356 l/ 1959 Thomas 2 Claims 10 Drawing Figures PAIENTEBFEB I 3.790.0 9

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INVENTOR Joan FRANGOS PAIENIEDVFEB 51914 3.790.089

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SHEU 5 BF 5 INVENTOR I JOHN FRANGOS AEROSOL VALVE'CONSTRUCTION STATEOF THE ART In the field of aerosol products, many products are known which require varying degrees of atomization for different applications. For example, when setting hair, a woman may require a heavy spray while only a light mist will be desired later to help hold the setting or a first coat of paint may require a coarse spray while the finish coat will require a fine spray to obtain a uniform coating. Insecticides require large particles to have a residual effect such as when spraying a hornets nest and smaller particles to knock down flying insects.

Various means have been proposed to increase or reduce the rate of flow of the product to be'dispensed through the stem orifice or the actuator terminal orifice. For example, US Pat. No. 3,231,153 describes an aerosol spray valve which has a multiplicity of spray rates by using two springs to obtain two different spray settings. US. Pat. No. 3,206,082 and No. 3,191,816 describe aerosol spray valves having variable spray rates using rotatable valves to vary the size of the opening through which the material is to be dispensed. However, all of the known designs merely change the flow rate or delivery rate of the dispensed material without changing the size of the particles of the dispensed material.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION THE INVENTION The novel aerosol valve of the invention comprises a cylindrical valve body provided with a bore therethrough, a spring biased valve core located in said bore with the spring biasing the core to the closed position, the valve .core having a tapered portion cooperating with a portion of bore wall to vary the cross sectional area between the .bore wall and the tapered portion, a vapor tap orifice-in the valve 'core adjacent the portion having a variable cross-sectional area and a liquid tap in the end of the said bore.

In one embodiment, as the valve core is depressed to open the valve, the cross-sectional area opposite the vapor tap is reduced with the depression of the valve core. This reduction in the free area about the valve core causes the flow of the liquid to accelerate. The shape of the channel at this point is such that a venturi effect takes place across the vapor tap and more and more vapor enters and less and less liquid at higher and higher speeds pass the vapor tap which results in a finer spray as the free cross-sectional area decreases.

The vapor stream is essentially the vapor of a liquefied gas that is miscible with the concentrate of the material to be dispensed or may be in a separate layer or compartment. The types of suitable propellants are well known and .the Freon propellants are the best known example.

The liquid stream of the dispensed material may be any mobil liquid and may include a liquefiable propellant and may also contain solid particles suspended therein.

Referring now to the drawings FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one valve embodiment of the invention in the closed position and FIGS. 2,3 and 4 show the same valve with the valve'core increasingly depressed and in FIG. 5 the valve core is completely depressed.

FIGS. 6,7,8,9 and 10 are similiar view of a second embodiment of the invention in which the liquid flow is restricted in two ways.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, the valve is comprised of a valve body 1 provided with a longitudinal channel traversing the length thereof and a vapor tap orifice 3 in the channel. The valve body is seated at the top of a pressurized container with the lower end thereof in communication with the contents thereof and the valve gasket, now shown, would be directly on top of the valve body and be held down by the valve cap. Valve core 4 is provided with a valve stem 5 which protrudes through the valve gasket and there is disposed in the valve stem an orifice 6. The valve core is biased by spring 7 in the closed position and the spring is compressed as the valve body is depressed. The valve core has a tapered portion 8 which acts in conjunction with a portion of the wall 9 of the bore 2 to vary the cross-sectional area of the bore adjacent to vapor orifice 3 as the valve body 4 is depressed with the crosssectional area being smallest when the valve body is fully depressed as in FIG. 5. v

The liquid to be dispensed is forced upwards from the bottom or end of bore 2.,The reduction'in the crosssectional area adjacentthevapor orifice3 creates a venturi effect whereby more and more vapor passes through the cross-sectional area with less liquid at higher speeds which results in a finer spray and smaller particle size of the material being sprayed through orifice 6. In FIG. 2, the valve is in an open position wherein the amount of liquid dispensed is greatest with the least amount of 'vapor which means the droplets of the liquid are the largest. v

' In th qtrb dimsm of FLGS- 6 $9.. with? 19W of the. liquid is restricted in two ways. The liquid flow is restricted as in the first embodiment by varying the crosssectional area in bore 2 adjacent to vapor orifice 3. The

liquid flow is also restricted by tapered extension 10 at the bottom of the valve body 4 which enters bore 2 at the bottom of the valve body 1 as the valve core 4 is depressed. This reduces the flow of liquid into the valve body.

Various modifications of the valve body of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof and it is to be understood that the inven-v tion is to be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An aerosol valve comprising a cylindrical valve body provided with a bore therethrough, a spring biased valve core provided with a dispensing orifice located in said bore with the spring biasing the core to the closed position, the said valve core having a small cylindrical bottom section, a larger cylindrical upper section and a tapered center section, a vapor tap orifice in the valve body opposite the cylindrical bottom section of the valve core and a liquid tap in the bottom of the 3,790,089 3 4 valve body bore, the movement of the valve core in the is further provided with a tapered bottom which coopbore being sufficient so that the upper section is oppoerates with the liquid tap in the bottom of the valve site the vapor orifice in the open position. body to restrict liquid flow through said liquid tap.

2. A aerosol valve of claim 1 wherein the valve core 

1. An aerosol valve comprising a cylindrical valve body provided with a bore therethrough, a spring biased valve core provided with a dispensing orifice located in said bore with the spring biasing the core to the closed position, the said valve core having a small cylindrical bottom section, a larger cylindrical upper section and a tapered center section, a vapor tap orifice in the valve body opposite the cylindrical bottom section of the valve core and a liquid tap in the bottom of the valve body bore, the movement of the valve core in the bore being sufficient so that the upper section is opposite the vapor orifice in the open position.
 2. A aerosol valve of claim 1 wherein the valve core is further provided with a tapered bottom which cooperates with the liquid tap in the bottom of the valve body to restrict liquid flow through said liquid tap. 